Time and Again
by WeyrwomanAnna
Summary: Dreams lead to strange decisions. Now Kagome is leaving, and things just seem to go downhill from there. But what happens when InuYasha is injured, and she senses it through time? InuKag. On Hiatus
1. Chapter 1

-1Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, and I am glad I don't. I'd just ruin the story.

Chapter 1: The Dream

She stared at the small, trickling waterfall before her eyes. Reaching out slowly, like a child who is afraid her candy will be taken before given, she gently touched the surface of the water. She gasped as pictures spread out across the surface, radiating from her touch. Pictures of past memories displayed for her to see, paraded across the water's surface, like a sideshow. She gazed raptly as it played through her life--from her earliest memories, right up to when she had crawled into bed that night, on the hard ground of the Sengoku Jidai. She stepped closer, cautiously, and stared at the pictures.

They paraded past memories of both eras, but seemed to mainly focus on one person. The person had dog ears, fangs and claws, and wore red. "InuYasha…" she whispered to no one. Then the pictures slowly retracted, growing smaller, forming words. "Do you love him?" It spelled. She recoiled in shock, unaware it would respond to spoken words. She thought of her times with InuYasha, and smiled slightly. "Yes" she whispered to the falls.

More words formed. "Would you give your life for him?" she replied without hesitation. "I would, if it was so required." Once more, words formed. "Would you seal yourself in your era if it saved his life?" Shocked into silence, she nodded, hoping the dream wouldn't ask her to. One last time, words formed. "If you love something…let them go. Go to your era, seal the well, never return…" She gasped, her heart jolting. Whispering to no one, she said "I'm sorry…" As the words melted away.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, and I am glad I don't. I'd just ruin the story.

Chapter 2: Upon awakening

InuYasha stared at Kagome, asleep at the foot of the tree he was in. His ears laced back as he heard mumbles coming from her. "Damn. If she figures out I heard her, I'll never get out of the hole she'd Osuwari me into." He looked up at the sky, and at the moon, slowly fading into the night of the new moon, when he would lose his youkai powers. One ear twitched forward as he heard his name called.

"Inu…InuYasha…" Kagome mumbled in her sleep. The other ear twitched forward, as InuYasha leaned forward to hear. "InuYasha…I..I…" He leaned farther forward, clinging to the tree now with his claws for balance. "I..I lo.." The mumbles were interrupted as she rolled over and opened her eyes. Seeing the hanyou above, staring at her, she blushed. "InuYasha…I didn't say anything in my sleep, did I?" He gave a mute nod of his head, then jumped down, landing next to her with a small thump. He glanced at her, then turned away.

"Look…I know you're just gonna Osuwari me, because I couldn't help listening. But if it helps, all you did was mumble a name a few times." His ears laced back as he waited for the command that would throw him to the dirt. 'Damn, I'm in for it now, aren't I?' he thought. Behind him, he heard Kagome stand and come next to him.

"InuYasha…" she said quietly. He raised his ears a little, tilting one towards her. "I…I've wanted to tell you something for a while. I thought…" She shook her head. "I thought I'd tell you before I left for good. I love you, InuYasha, and that's why I have to do this." He turned towards her, shocked, smelling salt in the air, and knowing she was crying. "Goodbye, InuYasha." She had grabbed her pack and had put it on her shoulders. "Maybe I'll be back, someday. But for now…" She took a breath, then shouted "OSUWARI!" and began to run away, towards the well a short distance away. Every time she heard InuYasha begin to move after her, she shouted Osuwari again, until she was standing on the edge of the well.

She glanced behind her as the noise of InuYasha running after her came to her ears. She smiled sadly and jumped down as InuYasha ran into the clearing. Concentrating, she prepared to seal the well as soon as she arrived.

InuYasha jumped into the well after Kagome, shouting. He landed with a thump on the bottom of the well. "Damn it!" He swore. "The wench sealed it after her! Why did she go!" He yelled to the stars. He fell back, leaning against the side of the well. "Why…" he whispered. "Why tell me and then leave?" He slid down the side of the well, and seemed to collapse in upon himself. Her scent lingered in the air. The scent he had told her he hated. He regretted that now, wishing he could have told her how he felt towards her just once. But she was gone now.

Dawn saw the sad, depressed hanyou back at their camp, struggling over what he would tell the monk, Miroku, and the taijiya, Sango, what had happened. He dreaded most telling Shippou, the small kitsune, what had happened. The small demon loved Kagome as if she were his mother, and would cry for hours when he found she had left. As the first rays of light pierced the leaves of the tree that stood over the sleeping group, Miroku stirred. Rolling over in his sleep, he placed his arm across Sango's waist, waking up the taijiya. With a start, she woke up screaming "PERVERT!" And slapped Miroku across the face. With a cry, he sat up. "What was that for!" He yelled at Sango. Shippou had woken up sometime during this exchange, and stood laughing.

InuYasha looked at the scene, and sighed. Jumping lightly from the tree, he walked up to them. "Well, if you two are done arguing…" Sango and Miroku looked at him, as Shippou stopped laughing and looked up at the seriousness and sadness in InuYasha's voice. "Hey InuYasha. Where's Kagome?" Shippou called over to him. InuYasha's ears flatted against his head, and the others waited as he spoke slowly "She…she left, about an hour ago. She kept yelling Osuwari so I couldn't follow, then sealed the well as she went through it. I tried…I tried to catch her. I don't know what was wrong. She just…she said something to me, then started running."

The three companions who had listened to InuYasha speak glanced at each other. Shippou sat down on the ground, sniffling. "B-b-but why would she leave us? Didn't she care for us at all?" Sango knelt next to Shippo. "There, there Shippo. I'm sure she will return soon."

"No she won't! She left f-forever and it's all InuYasha's fault!" The small kitsune wailed. At this, Miroku looked up at the half demon, who had leaned against a tree, and was staring at the ground. "InuYasha…Shippou has a point. Was this your fault?"

"No, damnit! I told you, I tried to catch her! She just…" At this point the hanyou lowered his voice, and looked up, staring at a tree, seeming to try to bore holes in it with his eyes. Whispering, he went on. "She...She woke up, and started acting funny. She told me that…that she loved me, and would be back someday, if she could. And then she Osuwari'd me and ran for the damned well."

At hearing InuYasha's words, Shippou looked up, tars still streaming down his face. He had, he knew, been perhaps the only one to hear the hanyou admit to it. He stared at the poor dejected hanyou in front of him, as his tears stopped flowing violently, slowing to a trickle down his cheeks.

At no response, InuYasha repeated himself louder, startling the humans in the group. Miroku took a step towards InuYasha, who growled slightly and leaped into a tree. "Look, damnit! I-I…" he stuttered, then turned his head. "I loved her too" he murmured. At those words, he turned and fled into the forest.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, and I am glad I don't. I'd just ruin the story.

Chapter 3: On The Other Side

Kagome leaned against the inside of the well, tears slowly trailing down her face. "Why…I shouldn't…The look on his face…" She slid down the side, coming to sit on the ground. Her face changed, tears coming faster. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Sadness, shock, horror, and finally loss settled on her features as she sat in the dark wellhouse. She wasn't aware of the time passing, as she sat on the floor, until a thin ray of sun came through the door, the afternoon sun touching the top of the well with golden light. As she looked up, and blinked, she burst out crying anew at the memories that flowed up, unbidden at the sight of that color.

_Flashback_

_Kagome stared at InuYasha, as he stood in the golden rays morning of the sun, seeming to pose heroically. Souta stood near him, but to the side, as Kagome bent to pick up the fallen shard. InuYasha's golden eyes seemed to bore into hers as she stood up. Then she realized what time it was. "Oh no--I gotta study! Bye InuYasha!" and took off running._

_end Flashback_

Kagome stood then, aware that the light reaching into the wellhouse signified the coming of night. She wearily climbed the rope ladder hanging in the well, and went towards her house. Opening the door, she took off her shoes, and shouted "Hey all! I'm home!" At no answer, she walked into the kitchen, and found a note on the door of the fridge. It told her that her brother, grandfather, and mother were out shopping, and would be home late. There was food in the fridge if she wanted it, and Buyo had been fed.

She sighed, her stomach protesting the thought of food when she was so upset. She trudged to the stairs, and up to her room, collapsing on her bed. "Oh…Kami-sama. I…I miss my friends already…" She rolled over on her side and curled up into a small ball, and started sobbing again. She stayed that way for a while, sobs gradually dying down until she fell into an uneasy sleep.

She stood, but barely, blood oozing from her shoulder. She looked down, and gasped. Four lines scored her shoulder, where she had been hit by the one she trusted most. Grabbing her bow, she hurried towards the shrine, in time to see a red blur burst through the roof. Turning, she stopped on the last step of the stairs to the shrine. She pulled the bowstring taught, and aimed at the blur. "InuYasha!" She shouted. The arrow flew true, burying itself in the shoulder of her target.

"Kikyou...why.." the hanyou fell still, eyes closing. The jewel dropped from his slack fingers. She gasped, realizing what she had done, and fell to her knees. "Inu…InuYasha…" she gasped out, then, in pain and sadness, and fell to her side. Her vision faded to black.

Only to return, with her standing beside the well. She looked around, and realized she was in the Sengoku Jidai again. "But…how?" she whispered. Remembering the previous sequence, she hurried towards Goshinboku.

Only to stop, dead in her tracks.

He was there. Still pinned, eyes closed, silver hair blowing softly in the wind. She stood rooted, as soft rustles came from behind her. A girl walked past. She started. That wasn't just any girl, that was her, on her 15th birthday!

She watched as she walked up to the tree, and paused. "Is that a…boy?" her past self said. That self proceeded to climb onto one of the vines growing around the tree "Hey there…whatcha doing?" She watched, knowing what was about to happen, watching as her younger self compulsively grabbed and played with the dog ears on InuYasha's head.

From behind her, she heard bowstrings pulled, and a shout of "Get away from there!" as the arrows were released towards her younger self, who yelped and turned, grabbing onto InuYasha's haori. Her sight faded to black.

She awoke with a yelp. She gasped for air, terrified. She rolled over onto her back, and sat up. She through a restless glance towards her window. Seeing it was night, she got up and sneaked down, out of the house. She made her way to Goshinboku, and stared up at the god tree. She placed her hand on the bare patch of wood, where InuYasha had been sealed for 50 years. "InuYasha…" She said softly to the wind. "Oh, Kami-sama. InuYasha, I miss you so. It's been less than a day, and I can't even think straight. I don't know when I will be back, but I will try so hard…"


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, and I am glad I don't. I'd just ruin the story.

Chapter Four: To Cope With Loss…

InuYasha sat quietly on the edge of the well. He had been like this all day. Miroku stared at his hanyou friend, worried. Even as he watched, InuYasha once more leaped down into the well. A thump was heard, and a whimper, as InuYasha leaped back up to sit on the edge again. He had been doing this for the past three days, just jump, thump, repeat. Miroku was saddened by this. Even now, Sango was back at Kaede's hut, trying to soothe poor Shippou, who was still wailing for Kagome. Miroku turned, unwilling to watch the sad spectacle that was InuYasha any longer.

He returned to the village, and held back the woven door to Kaede's hut long enough to enter. Glancing at Sango, who had fallen asleep, with Shippou in her lap, curled up asleep. Faint sniffles emanated from both, and both had tear streaked down their faces. Night was silently stealing across the land, as he sat in a corner, staff in his cursed hand as he leaned his head against his chest to sleep.

Night fell, and the lonely hanyou failed to realize it before his senses dulled, eyes fading to a deep violet, hair to black. "Damn it!" he swore. "Why tonight?" He sighed, and used the last dregs of his youkai strength to leap out of the well. Settling against the side, he settled for a long night.

A voice hissed through the night. "Excellent. He issss assssleep. Now issss the time to sssstrike." A large snake youkai reared its head above InuYasha. He hissed out a laugh, waking InuYasha, who widened his eyes. Drawing Tessaiga, he held it in front of him. 'Damn…I'm not gonna make it outta this one alive.' He closed his eyes as the snake moved to strike…

A cry rang out. "Hiraikotsu!" A roar, a slicing sound, a crack, of bone breaking, and a hissed death cry.

He opened his eyes. Sango, on Kirara, stood in front of him. She held her hiraikotsu by her side, Kirara floating in the air above her. "InuYasha…" She whispered to him. "You shouldn't be out tonight. Come to Kaede's hut to sleep."

With a last long glance at the well, the three of them headed back to Kaede's hut for the night.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, and I am glad I don't. I'd just ruin the story.

Chapter Five: Danger and Courage

InuYasha looked down the well once more, then turned his back, and walked off. They had heard rumors of a shard, and they had to go collect it. Sango and Miroku wouldn't be able to handle it, even with Kirara's help. So it was up to him to help out, much as he wanted to stay by the well. He started into a light jog, heading for Kaede's hut, so he could travel alongside his companions. When he got close, his ears flattened and he groaned at a distinctive slap sound. 'Oh no. What did he do now?'

As he approached the hut, he saw Miroku on the ground, a big bump on his head and a red handprint on his face. Sango was standing over him, Hiraikotsu in hand, and shouting at the clearly unconscious monk. "Hey. Guys, shut up and get ready. I wanna get this over with and find the damned shard, WITHOUT killing ourselves." He prodded the monk with his toe, who was just starting to wake up. "Hey, monk, get up. We hafta get going now." Miroku groaned and stood up unsteadily. Sango glanced at him, her anger still clear. She moved to stand next to Kirara. "Well he's NOT riding with me. He can walk, and it'd be what he deserves if he exhausts himself."

InuYasha rolled his eyes, and moved over to the monk. "You know, Miroku, she's gonna be the death of you one day." Sighing, he turned away. "Alright. Hop on, and I'll carry you there."

The monk gratefully climbed onto InuYasha's back as second later, he took off running into the forest. Kirara and Sango followed in the air behind them.

They ran for a few minutes, then burst into a clearing. A huge cat youkai stood in the center, snarling at a few cowering humans. It let out a hiss, and launched through the air.

"Shit!" Yelled InuYasha, who dropped Miroku, and ran towards the demon. "Sankon Tessou!" He yelled, charging towards the beast. Long, golden arcs of light cut through the air and into the youkai, who let out a scream, and turned towards InuYasha. It leaped, and InuYasha dodged, but not fast enough. "Damn. That's not going to help at all. But I can still beat you one handed!" He yelled out the last part to the youkai. His left arm was dripping blood, from a gash in his shoulder. He struggled, and drew Tessaiga, holding it one handed in his right hand. He backed up a few steps, held Tessaiga in front of him. 'Now's the time to strike' he thought, searching for a weakness. Raising Tessaiga high in one hand, he swung it down with a cry of "Kaze no Kizu!" A rush of wind and light raced towards the youkai, who jumped aside and laughed at InuYasha, who was struggling to lift Tessaiga off the ground.

"Baka! Did you think to catch me so unawares?" The youkai leaped into a tree. "I claim the power of a Shikon shard! It will not be so easy to beat me!"

A whirring filled the air. The youkai leaped up with easy grace, and reached down to snatch Hiraikotsu out of the air. Laughing, he broke it in half easily, and threw it to the ground. "As if so puny a human weapon could beat me!" While he laughed, InuYasha seized his chance. Focusing on the youkai, he taunted it. "You may be fast, but betcha you don't have the power to do anything aside from physical attacks!" He raised the Tessaiga guardedly. It began to pulse, and he could see the Kaze no Kizu wrapping itself around the blade.

"Ha!" cried out the youkai. "Shows what you know!" With a hissing roar, the youkai swiped its claws through the air, leaving red, glowing streaks flying towards InuYasha.

'Perfect' thought InuYasha, as he brought his sword across the light flying towards him. "Bakryuha!" The Kaze no Kizu wrapped around the blade transferred itself to the other youkai's attack, and reversed it towards its originator. The youkai cried out, and tried to doge, but was to slow. With a howl, it disintegrated.

InuYasha stood, barely, by the edge of the clearing. His vision was blurring from blood loss. He wobbled for a moment, then sank to his knees, then fell forward to the ground. His last coherent thought was 'Kagome…'


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, and I am glad I don't. I'd just ruin the story.

Chapter 6: Seals and Locks

Kagome bolted upright, no longer asleep in the middle of her class. She knew something was wrong. Knew InuYasha was hurt. And just like she knew those, she knew she had to find him.

She fidgeted through the rest of the school day. When the bell rang, she dashed home, and up to her room. Grabbing her pack, and stuffing it full of medical supplies, food, and water, she shouted to her mother that she was heading back to the feudal era. With a wish of luck from her mother, she ran out and jumped into the well.

Only to land with a splat. 'Stupid…' she thought 'forgot you sealed the well, huh?' She sighed and stood up. Focusing, she tried to unseal it, and failed. She simply couldn't reopen the well to the past. "Oh no!" she cried, and sank against the side of the well. She stayed against the side of the well for hours, tears slowly trickling down her face as she stared blankly at the wall. She was cut off from him, even thought her heart demanded that she find and help him. 'What am I to do?' She thought. 'I'll have to figure out a way to make it back…' She thought of InuYasha, then, wounded, lying on the floor of Kaede's hut, a wound leaking blood…she shuddered. If only she could get to him…he probably had gone after another shard…

The shards! She glanced at the small bottle hung around her neck, and focused on them. The Shikon no Tama had brought her through the well in the first place, so it stood to reason it could get her through now…

She pulled the necklace off over her head, and clutched it in her closed hands. Saying a silent prayer, she climbed a little ways up the rope ladder on the side of the well, closed her eyes, and jumped again…

That endless falling sensation started, reassuring her in its very familiarity. She smiled slightly, keeping her eyes closed, landing with a soft thump in the Sengoku Jidai. She sighed, and reached for the vines curling down the inside of the well. If InuYasha was as injured as she thought, he wouldn't be here to help.

She pulled herself over the edge of the well, and blinked in the bright sunlight that reached her eyes. She sat down with a thump in the grass. InuYasha wasn't there…so that meant…

She shouldered her pack, and took off towards Kaede's hut. She slowed as she neared it, and softly pulled back the woven door, and peeked in. Sango and Miroku where half asleep, watching over InuYasha, who was lying prone on the floor, blood slowly oozing from a shoulder wound. She stepped in, deliberately making noise to wake up the pair standing silent guard.

"Kagome!" both shouted. InuYasha's ears tilted forward a little, sign he was still alive enough to recognize her name…

She moved over and knelt by him, and dumped her backpack out on the floor. Grabbing the first aid kit, she peeled back the bandages on InuYasha's shoulder carefully.

The wound was black, and the skin around it dark gray, fading to light gray as it got farther away from the wound. She gasped. Sango looked at her, then said quietly "we fought a cat youkai. It must have had poison in it's claws, because he gets worse as time passes…"

Kagome glanced into the first aid kit, and picked out something for poison. She had long ago learned to pack all sorts of things. She poured a couple drops into InuYasha's wound, and wrapped a clean bandage around it.

Now all that was left was to wait.

Normal

Default Paragraph Font

ColorPos¸

ColorSetP\

StylePos€

StyleSetp

Times New Roman

Symbol

Unknown

Root Entry

WordDocument

WordDocument

CompObj

CompObj

SummaryInformation

SummaryInformation

Microsoft Word Document

MSWordDoc

Unknown

Normal

Microsoft Word for Windows 95

DocumentSummaryInformation

DocumentSummaryInformation


	7. Chapter 7

I don't Own InuYasha. And I don't want to, as I'd probably ruin the story.

Chapter Seven: Dreams and Nightmares

InuYasha shifted restlessly in his poison induced sleep. His dreams where terrifying, more like nightmares. He called out, in hopeless terror.

Blackness surrounded him. From it, voices of the past rang out, in accusations, in horror at him. He was acutely aware of every scream of a child, every whimper ever uttered as he passed by the humans of various villages, back before Kikyou. His ears flattened. He whimpered slightly in the back of his throat.

The scene began to clear. He was running through a village…No. Not just any village. It was Kikyou's village…where Kaede and the group were currently. Smoke was rising from several houses, as he ran past them. He glanced down at a weight that he suddenly felt in his right hand. "No…!"

It was the Shikon no Tama. His eyes widened as he looked around, recognizing where he was. It was…

"Oh SHIT!" He tried desperately to turn in midair. A shout rang out, a bowstring twanged and an arrow whirred through the air, landing with a thunk in his chest, pinning him to the tree behind him. His eyes turned towards the person who pinned him. "Kikyou…Why…"

But he knew why. This was just a reenactment, wasn't it? It was a dream, right? His vision faded to black as doubts crept into his mind.

Kagome was having similar dreams just a few feet away.

Blackness was around her, and evil laughter, that sounded so much like Naraku's, rang out. She cried out for InuYasha, but all she heard was more laughter. Red eyes glowed in the dark, each pierced by turquoise pupil. A laugh rang out from there, as InuYasha, in full demon form, stepped out.

"Ha, wench. No one can save you now. Your precious hanyou is gone!" Naraku's voice said. "Now, be torn to pieces by the demon terror that is the new InuYasha!"

She whimpered. "Inu…InuYasha! Snap out of it!" She screamed as he reached forward and slashed her across the shoulder. "Bitch. You think I actually cared for you!" He laughed out, thinking his own statement hilarious. "Ha! As if. You're just my shard detector. Thanks, by the way, for without you, this…" he paused to hold up and clench a fist, his new claws showing, and the longer fangs showing in his smile, "wouldn't be possible."

He took his glance from admiring his claws, and leaped forward, and used his claws to leave long, ragged cuts down her back. She screamed, and dropped to her knees.

"Keh. Pathetic human. You're lucky I let you live this long."

She fell forward, curled into a little ball, as InuYasha leaned over her body and left long, thin slices down her back and sides. She whimpered. And tried to curl up tighter. Her vision started to fade to black and InuYasha's cruel laughs were the last she heard.

She gasped awake, terrified. She forced herself to look at the hanyou lying on the futon just in front of her.

"InuYasha…" she whispered "You wouldn't hurt me like that, would you?" She watched the hanyou's face, noticing the features were creased in worry and terror. She grabbed a clean cloth and wiped some of the sweat off of his face, before unwrapping and checking his wound. It was worse, she could tell…From his upper shoulder to elbow, it was black, and his forearm was going gray. She grabbed the first aid kit and fumbled through for the poison antidote. She found it, and poured a couple more drops in before rewrapping it in clean bandages. She leaned over him, and began to talk to him, as if he were awake.

"Oh…InuYasha…please fight this off. You gotta get better. OK?" She sighed slightly, eyes tearing. "You gotta get better, gotta finish this quest, right? And although you probably don't love me back, I need you to get better for me, too. Please." A few tears fell onto InuYasha's face. She reached for the cloth, to wipe them away. When she turned back, she saw his eyes were open.

"InuYasha. Are you feeling any better?" He shook his head. His voice, raspy from lack of water, came through the darkness.

"Kagome…" He pushed up with his good arm, sliding back until he was leaning against the wall. "Kagome…even if I don't make it through this… I want you to know, I love you too. I would have told you before now, but…well, I always thought you wouldn't love me back." His ears flattened, as a blush crept across his face. "You also know how hard it is for me to talk about how I feel. And I thought that you would think I only loved you as a Kikyou look-a-like." He glanced at her. "I don't, you know. You are Kagome. You are…yourself. There is no way that I would choose Kikyou over you now…but I used to think I might have." His ears flattened further, as his blush deepened. "I…Kagome…" His eyes rolled back and he slumped against the wall.

She watched him throughout this, then watched, worriedly, as he fainted before finishing his last sentence. She was afraid for him.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: InuYasha is not mine, and will never be mine. Which makes me happy, 'cause then I can't ruin the story.

Chapter Eight: Return from the Edge

InuYasha didn't wake up from his unconsciousness until three days later. He woke up slowly, not even opening his eyes until he heard soft crying above him.

"InuYasha…" His ears perked forward. Kagome was crying. He tried to move to sit up, but his limbs wouldn't respond. He opened his yes and look up at Kagome, and tried to talk.

"Kagome…" it came out in a choked whisper. He tried again. "Kagome." It came out slightly louder, loud enough to make her actually look at him. She had been pointedly looking to the side as she cried, trying not to see the poor hanyou lying unconscious on the futon in front of her. She stared at him.

"InuYasha…are you feeling any better?" she said, when she saw him trying to move. "Try not to move. The poison is leaving your body, but slowly."

Her only response was a "Keh." as the hanyou kept trying to sit up. She pushed him back. "Don't InuYasha. We almost…" her voice broke a little, as she thought about the past few days. "We almost lost you…"

He stopped struggling, and lay still on the futon. "Kagome…I'm sorry for being weak like this…" She just looked at him for a moment, as she took in what he said.

"InuYasha! That poison would have killed anyone else, and would have even put a youkai close to death! You're strong if you could survive it!" She looked at him, one long, hard stare. "Now, will you please sleep? I'm still worried, and you need rest to fight the rest of the poison out."

He sighed and closed his eyes…'Stupid wench…Don't need sleep. Not tired…' his thoughts became less coherent as he fell into a deep sleep.

Kagome watched InuYasha fall asleep, then thought back on the previous few days. If it hadn't been for Kaede, and Sango with Kirara, they would have lost InuYasha to the poison within a few hours after he fainted. She ran her mind through those events.

_Flashback _

_"InuYasha!" She shook the fainted hanyou. "Wake up! Please!" _

_Her screams woke up Sango, who stumbled up, looking alarmed. "What's wrong!" She cried to Kagome._

_"He was awake! He was talking, and fine, and then he fainted! The poison…it must be weakening him!" Kagome clutched the hanyou's haori, as if to hold his soul in his body. "We have to do something!" She was panicking._

_"Calm down! Let's wake Kaede, she should know a remedy, or at least something to help." Sango grabbed her friend by the shoulders. "Come on."_

_Kaede was already awake, having heard Kagome's screams. "Child, calm down. I heard ye from my sleep. Ye need a cure, correct?" Sango nodded as Kagome steadfastly refused to let go of the hanyou._

_"Sango, I will need your help. Ye will need to take me on Kirara to a waterfall, preferably one near a cold river." Sango nodded, and with a last glance, called Kirara as she moved outside, Kaede following. _

_They flew for an hour, setting down at waterfall after waterfall. Finally Kaede had found the plant she had needed. Clambering aboard Kirara, they hurried back._

_InuYasha was worse. His whole arm black, and a portion of his chest. Kagome had pulled him down to the floor, and sat with his head in her lap. Kaede moved quickly to her rooms, and came out with several dried herbs, a mortar and pestle, and some water. Mixing them expertly, she ground the fresh leaves of the plant into a few other herbs, mixed it with water, and set the whole thing to boil on the fire._

_After a few minutes, the potion had boiled long enough. Setting it out of the fire, they let it cool, before sitting InuYasha up, and forcing some of it in his mouth. He instinctively swallowed, and they put him back down on the futon, to let him sleep._

_Kagome stayed by his side for all three days._

_end Flashback_

Kagome sighed. He was getting better though. His arm was almost back to normal, aside from a blackness around the still gaping wound.

She leaned against the wall, and half an hour later, as the morning sun rose, it shed light on her still, sleeping form.


End file.
